Illinois Early Childhood Innovation Zones: Early Wins & Lessons - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Illinois’ Early Childhood Innovation Zones: Early Wins & Lessons Learned So Far Part 1 of 3: Building a Pipeline Enrolling More Very High Need Children in High Quality Early Learning and Development Programs Through Targeted Parent and Cross-Sector Outreach

Agenda • Innovation Zone Overview • Stories from the Innovation Zones – North Lawndale – Pilsen & Little Village – Cicero • Response from Office of Early Childhood Development • Q & A • Closing

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Innovation Zone Overview Leah Pouw, Director of Program Innovation Illinois Action for Children

North Lawndale Innovation Zone Aminah Wyatt-Jones North Lawndale Program Development Manager Illinois Action for Children

North Lawndale Community

North Lawndale Innovation Zone: Priority Populations • Homeless children • Children of teen parents • Children in the DCFS system including foster children • Children with disabilities • Children in poverty or deep poverty • Children in home-based child care who need supplemental early learning

North Lawndale Innovation Zone: Hypothesis • Available slots are under-enrolled by highest need populations • 49% of 3-4 year olds not connected to early learning programs – Spring enrollment doesn’t make sense to families – Unaware of menu of eligible options – No enrollment sites in community – High transience

North Lawndale Innovation Zone: Experiments • Build a connecting “pipeline” • Targeted outreach • Parent engagement innovations • Connect “family, friend and neighbor” care to formal early learning programs

North Lawndale Innovation Zone: Pipeline (Before) – Disconnected Child systems WIC, welfare TANF system – Some sharing, based Health and hospitals on relationships Early – Silos, no time or childhood system limited resources to connect Teen parent – Territorial, afraid to programs Homeless share waiting lists shelters

Referral Flow Chart

North Lawndale Innovation Zone: Accomplishments • Providers sharing slot information with one another • Referral partnership with Lawndale Christian Health Center • Over 200 priority children enrolled in early learning programs (home visiting & preschool) • 100% enrollment in all CPS early childhood slots in North Lawndale

North Lawndale Innovation Zone: Lesson Learned So Far • Relationship building is key! • Integrate early learning into other community efforts • Make early learning messaging simple and to the point • Ideas are easy, implementation… • Find out what the data REALLY means by listening to parents in the community

Pilsen & Little Village Innovation Zone Dr. Caridad Rositas-Sheftel Early Childhood Project Manager Catholic Charities

Pilsen & Little Village Innovation Zone: Priority Populations • Young children with cultural and language isolation are under-represented in early learning programs • Children ages birth – 5 years that are living at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, including children with undocumented parents.

Pilsen & Little Village Innovation Zone: Goals • Increase capacity of collaboration efforts • Facilitate outreach and enrollment • Build a pipeline of partners

Pilsen & Little Village Innovation Zone: Accomplishments • The creation of a shared outreach and enrollment process: – Parent ambassadors – Shared database – Creation of common tools • Small win: Eleven children are now enrolled in high quality learning programs as a result.

Pilsen & Little Village Innovation Zone: Strategy Adaptations • Capacity to translate documents to Spanish • Identify alternative ways to contact families • Identify alternative ways to communicate as a core team • Create safe space for peer support • Reprioritize work plan activities

Pilsen & Little Village Innovation Zone: Lessons Learned So Far • Families are very discouraged to enroll children due to Child Care Assistance Program changes • Time to advocate!

Cicero Innovation Zone Nancy Caban-Vazquez Primeros Pasos Program Coordinator Family Focus - Nuestra Familia

Cicero Innovation Zone: Priority Populations • Homeless children • Children in poverty and deep poverty • Children of teen parents • Children in home-based child care • Children in DCFS System • Linguistically isolated children

Cicero Innovation Zone: Goals • Quality improvement in early learning programs • Serve more children from Priority Populations • Engage families across the community • Develop networks of social and health services

Cicero Innovation Zone: Accomplishments • Educate, assist, and support families • Community outreach done by parent ambassadors using data

Cicero Innovation Zone: Strategy Adaptations • Change outreach strategy • Use of community newspaper • Meet families where they are

Cicero Innovation Zone: Lessons Learned So Far • Programs are full or have waitlists • Programs that have openings are not accessible because of transportation • Communication between programs, schools and parents is a challenge

Response from the Office of Early Childhood Development Joanna Su, Community Systems Policy Director Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development

Q & A Renee Tetrick, Program Innovation Analyst Illinois Action for Children

For more information: • Today’s recording will be posted on Partner Plan Act Website www.partnerplanact.org/webinars • Register for upcoming webinars on Innovation Zones: – December 10, 2015: Developmental Screening: Increasing awareness, access and use of early intervention services – January 14, 2015: Quality: Strategies for Improving Early Childhood Programs – www.partnerplanact.org/webinars • Additional questions? Please send an email to partnerplanact@partnerplanact.org